Bullseye quit 3 times on an overnight brisket. Looking for a reliable pellet cooker, ~$1,200 budget

[glitchy]

Got a response from Recteq. Likely an airflow problem. I let them know I inspected the cooker after it cooled down, and the firepot looked clear, with no excessive ash. So something may still be blocking airflow between the fan and the firepot. They actually told me that this was "an excessively long cook for this model." I asked them to provide the maximum recommended continuous runtime for my RT-B380 and point me to where that is documented. We will see.

Anywho, when I get more time, I will inspect further.

Most of the pellet grills I’ve had push air from the fan through a chute through the firepot. So, there could be an obstruction there or a faulty fan. What are the vents like on that grill? If they’re louvre style and you’ve used it a lot, the could be partially clogged with smoke and grease residue. That’s something MAK owners have to watch. Though when MAK exhaust vents get clogged it usually keeps the grill from getting to higher temps more than flameouts.

[klflowers]

I had a Grilla Chimp for several years, until it failed and caught fire a couple months ago. Before that, i noticed that the temp readout would stop at ~160 when I had it set for 250. The controller would just keep feeding pellets. I caught it because I had a secondary temp probe in the smoker. Talked to Grilla, we thought it was the rtd, got a replacement. Installed it, checked it out, seemed to fix the problem. Next cook, I noticed smoke billowing. Grill temp on the app said 180, secondary monitor was up over 400. Went out to look, saw flames. I kind of ruined it with a fire extinguisher - since it is so small, I was worried about it burning back to the hopper so I sprayed everywhere. Talked to Grilla again, they said the controller must have been bad.

I will say that Grilla customer service is great. They didn't offer a discount on a new one - mine was around 10 years old i think - but they did offer to walk me through cleaning and rebuilding it. I just decided it wasn't worth the hassle with the amount of fire retardent i sprayed in it.

I really like the convience of pellet grills, but that shook me. I routinely fired it up and left it running while I left the house. I also have a wsm, a Bronco and a kettle; i have never had any runaway incidents with charcoal. I may get another pellet rig at some point, but i doubt that I will leave it unattended.

I know this is not addressing your question lol. If i do get another pelleteer, i would probably go with a weber.

[Purc]

Technology is great until it isn't. I love to have new toys. I want a pellet smoker and wireless probes just because. And then I read about these issues that I have never had with my Weber Kettle, OKJ Bronco and my Maverick XR-50 remote thermometer. BTW, I am also limited in outdoor space so if space was available I might have a smoker/grill fleet similar to Uncle Bob

[LA Pork Butt]

I would also add the Searwood XL 600 would be great for your crowd but large for your cooks for four. My guess is the Searwood 600 would be great for four and maybe a little skimpy for your crowd.

[Sid P]

Remember what I said about Grilla’s sales? The Silverbac 2.0 is now 30% off. I wouldn’t pay $1,100 for it, which is the regular price, but it’s a no-brainer at $770.00. I’d pay the extra $128 for the package that includes the front shelf, cover, and 8 bags of pellets, or there’s also an XL version available.

[Huskee]

Got a response from Recteq. Likely an airflow problem. I let them know I inspected the cooker after it cooled down, and the firepot looked clear, with no excessive ash. So something may still be blocking airflow between the fan and the firepot. They actually told me that this was "an excessively long cook for this model." I asked them to provide the maximum recommended continuous runtime for my RT-B380 and point me to where that is documented. We will see.

Anywho, when I get more time, I will inspect further.

Max, years ago, reviewed the Bullseye, and it was not a favorable review. There were flaws, plural. Flaws that an updated model could've addressed and fixed. The company, sadly, got hostile with us instead of using his expertise, discoveries, and professional complaints as constructive feedback.

By way of comparing different businesses' tactics, something similar happened more recently with a very well known HUGE grill manufacturer, but they instead had a proper team with a proper perspective on feedback from pros like the revered Max Good. They took the critiques well and redesigned an updated model that addressed the weak points and is now a huge hit.

Anyway, switching gears: another recommendation for the Grilla Silverbac. No complaints. And does well in cold weather.

[tstalafuse]

So, who is this mysterious HUGE grill manufacturer? Did you guys buy MAK grills?

[Huskee]

tstalafuse Lol, no. Wouldn't that be cool, though? Meathead is a big fan of MAK. Most of his smoking and other recipes were developed on MAKs. The manufacturer I'm referencing is quite likely the most common grill manufacturer on the planet. They came out with a pellet cooker a few years back that had some glaring flaws. They accepted the feedback and their newer ones are rated much higher.

[glitchy]

Huskee Reqteq is also rumored to delete every poor review. Heard it enough times in different places that I believe it’s likely true. However, I thought they did redesign the bullseye a while back.

[Huskee]

I think they did now that you mention it, redesign the Bullseye. And I've heard the same allegations about their reviews.